Apparatus for filling containers with liquid



Nov. 21, 1950 D. w. BINGHAM 2,530,755

APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID Filed Sept. 25 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEHTOR DAVID W BI NQHAM' Nov. 21, 1950 D. w. BINGHAM APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1946 .WWIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMmfi A M W? 1/ INVENTOR DA ipwrawaum Nov. 21, 1950 D. w. BINGHAM APPARATUS FOR FILLING CQNTAINERS WITH LIQUID Filed Sept. 23, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5- INVENTOR DAVID M BI'NGHAM Nov. 21, 1950 D. w. BINGHAM 2,530,755

APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID Filed Sept. 23, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 M INVENTOR mvi veiuaum W my Nov. 21, 1950 D. w. 5mm 2,530,755

APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID Filed Sept. 25', 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 N) m E INVENTOR DAVID 'W' BWGHAM Attif l atented Nov. 21, 1950 APPAaaTnsFoR FILLINGCQNTAINERS WITH LIQUID--- David William Bins htQn,;Y 6 Q Australia Application September 23, 1-946, Serial No. 6923;684- In- Australia J anuaryl-d, 1946- (c1..2zc-95).

7 Claims.

This .inventionrelates; to apparatus. for .filling. bottles and other; containers with predetermined, quantities of liquid and the. like and more par-. ticularly concerns apparatus ofthe typewhich. employs a vacuum pump or the likefon with,- drawing air fromthebottle to-be filled to thereby. cause .the liquid to. flow into the bottleunder the influence. of, atmospheric pressure.

'Theprimary objects. of the present. invention is.:.to provide improved. apparatus of; the kind indicated for filling a. wide variety of bottles and other containers of many different. shapes; andlsizes while. they. are being carried forwar on a. conveyor and. without, interrnptinesuch; forward movement.

.Another. object. is to provide, .in. apparatus. of. the kind indicated, an. improved, filling head which is adapted automatically tomove the contamer into the correct filling. position, and then 1311.11 wh reupon the. liquid supply is automati. callv 0.11.11; off and undesirabledrippin of .the, liquidis ither eliminatedor reduced toa minimum.

Other o iectsandvarwus constructional, ieae tunes of the invention-will bemore readily ap parent from the following; description of one. nraetical embodiment.

.liteferri to the dr wi s which form; part this specificat Fig, 1: is a front elevation of apparatus for; filling bottles and other; containers with liquid;

in accordance withqone embodiment of the invention, parts being omitted. for convenience of illustration.

Figs. ,2 and 3 are an end view and a plan view respectively of the parts seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side view, on an enlarged, scale, showing portion .of. a filling head conveyor and. ramps associated therewith;

Eigs. .5.and. Gare a plan view and a sectional elevatign respectively of the parts seen inFig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale of oneof the filling heads.

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation taken approximately on the line VIII"VIII of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 .is a fragmentary sectional elevation on an enlarged scale of a common distributor valve.

Fig. 10 is a sectional plan taken approximately on the line X-X of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation taken approximately on the line HXI of Fig. 9.

5 Theimproved apparatusincludes a supporting frame 2 having an endless conveyor 3 for the bottles or: other: containers to be filled. This:

2. bottle. conveyor pr ie ab r mov f ardinrastraieiht:..line, .pat

Mounted upon; zir me abulk raseatenk Eli 0121 116 1iqll d,. .theqtankizbeing p vi d w h. feed: pipe. .1 connected :to. a. comm n d tributor valve shaving anlurali y oi fl xible ischar illness: leadingltii a; seriesc. ,iil ine. heads H hereinafter; described;

The-apparatus. alsouincludes: a vacuum pump. t2; andsan associated-tank: l a eparator device... at. ionseparatinc any. iquid. that may nter the. vacuumhipesvstenn ifieanld meansfor conveying; a plurality of the feeding heads;lengthwiseofi the:..bottle conveyor; 3.;andj at; the. same speed. The.apparatusalso. preifirably includes a power; unitvsuch. asanielectriemotor [i for operating the. various.:movable..1parts ;.thereof;

ThQz-SEiFiES of fillingoheadssgmay be carried; by an; endless chain coi'nuniorv .21 as .best. shown in; Figs.;2 6 portion :Df which iSi located: above the. bottleconveyor 53.3150: .as to extend lengthwise; tlicreot in. substantiali'ri parallel relationship. The endless chain; conveyor passesiarounddi'iving sprockets. 122 carried. by upright shaftsgj23. Associated with the. chain. conveyoris atracke wayzdsadapted to ehegslidably engagedlby shoul's ders. 2-6 ionthe. chain 1 links. so as to; prevent very.

tical displacement, of the conveyor. The latter;

may also be provided with rollers 21 adaptedto.

I engagethe: trackway; for. preventing. lateral. displacement; of the. conveyor...

The aforesaidi filling. heads. H; are mounted uponthe .chainnonveyiorin longitudinally spac g i'i relationship. The. supporitfor each filling head. may consi of: an..up sht:p1ate 28 connected to; thGGhaiILiQQ LY YQI. 2.1!. andinrovided, with a doves tail orlikeuguideway ZaQxfcr avertical, slidepmem-z her (it to which. the. filling head. is connected. The slidemem-bermayvbe provided with a roller. 32; adapted to. engageiramps which; are 10:; cated above the chain conveyor and adapted to automatically raise and; lower; :the. filling heads in: relation to l the. bottle conveyon Instead. of: the ramp. and; roller arrangement, any othersuitable means;.:may...be employed. for .automati cally effecting such vertical; movements of the. fillin heads asthey-are ;carried.forward.by their conveyor.

The aforesaid .fillinghheads constitute shimportantr.featurecotizthisn: invention. Each filling. head H ,ias:best:shown'iin'Figs. 5 -8-may comprise t a body: portion 33 which is bolted as at .311 .01 secured :in'; any otherisuitable manner to .itseslide member"'3:l The'body portion. iswprovided" with;

55;. an inlet; .port .38; tor removable: connection to one of the liquid discharge pipes 9, the inlet port being in communication with an internal transfer passage 39 leading to a liquid discharge nozzle 4! which is spring influenced and vertically slidable. The discharge nozzle is slidably accommodated within an open ended hole 42 which extends in a substantially vertical direction between the transfer passage 39 and the bottom of the body portion so as to form a vertical guideway for the discharge nozzle. A rolling sealing rin 43 or any other suitable type of seal is provided for preventing the escape of liquid through the guideway during the vertical sliding movements of the discharge nozzle.

The body portion is also provided with a vacuum pipe 45 which may extend from the top of the body portion across the internal transfer passage as and downwardly through the discharge nozzle 4|, the external diameter of the vacuum pipe being smaller than the internal diameter of the nozzle so as to provide an annular passage 41 for the discharge of liquid through the nozzle when so desired. The vac uum pipe may be provided with a series of radial vanes 48 for centralizing it within the nozzle whilst the lower end of the pipe may be provided with an enlarged head 49 on which an annular stepped shoulder may be formed to provide a seating adapted to be engaged by the lower end of the nozzle. The vacuum pipe 46 and the liquid inlet port 99 may both be fitted with nipples and screw couplings for detachable connection to their respective pipe lines.

Mounted upon and secured to the discharge nozzle 4i beneath the body portion 36 is a hollow centering member 52 for the bottles or other containers. The centering member may include inner and outer sections 53 and 54 respectively adapted to be screwed together. The outer section may be provided with a stepped shoulder 56 so that it may clamp a resilient sealing ring 51 in position against a similar shoulder on the inner section and the discharge nozzle.

The lower end portion of said outer section 54 is preferably of fiared bell mouthed formation and provided with an inclined circumferential passage 58 adapted to direct the mouth of a bottle or the like 4 (Fig. '7) on to the aforesaid sealing ring 57.

The hollow centering member 52 and the body portion 36 are relatively movable and for this purpose may be connected together by a plurality of parallel pins or studs 6| anchored to the body portion and passing freely through apertured arms 62 outstanding from the hollow centering member. Coiled springs 63 preferably encircle the connecting studs for the purpose of normally forcing the centering member 52 downwardly and thus carrying the lower end of the nozzle 4! into engagement with its seating 56 on the vacuum pipe.

The aforesaid common distributor valve 8, as best shown in Figs. 9-11 includes a stationary member 66 and a rotary member 61, the stationary member having a common outlet port 68 for the liquid and also a common vacuum exhaust port 69, the two common ports being adapted to register successively with a plurality of pairs of circumferentially spaced liquid and vacuum ports H and 12 respectively in the rotary valve member each of which is connected by the flexible tubing 9 to one of the filling heads II.

The axis of the distributor valve is preferably substantially vertical, the rotary member 61 beins carried by an upstanding power driven rotatable post 13 while the stationary valve member 66 is secured to an overhanging stationary torque arm 14 anchored at its opposite end to any convenient part of the machine frame.

The aforesaid common liquid and vacuum ports 68 and 69 in the stationary valve member 66 communicate through internal passages 16 with screw couplings or the like 11, one of which is adapted for removable connection to the main feed pipe 1 leading from the liquid storage tank 6 while the other is connected to the pipe line l6 leading to the vacuum tank [3.

The stationary and rotatable members 66 and 61 of the distributor valve may be of complementary tapered formation so as to form a suitable rotary seal therebetween. The parts may be resiliently connected together by means of connecting bolts 81 carried by the rotary member 61 and passing freely through apertures in a rotatable bearing ring 82 mounted on an annular shoulder 83 on the stationary valve member 66. the outer end portions of the connecting bolts being fitted with lock nuts and coiled springs 84 or the like located between the lock nuts and the adjacent face of the bearing ring.

In order to accommodate different sized bottles the improved apparatus may include any suitable type of elevating mechanism whereby relative movement may be effected between the bottle conveyor 3 and the filling heads I I and parts associated therewith, in accordance with requirements.

In use bottles or other containers to be filled are placed in suitable seatings 81 on the bottle conveyor 3 in advance of the filling heads II which are adapted to move lengthwise of the bottle conveyor above the container and at the same forward speed.

As an empty bottle and a filling head approach each other the filling head roller 32 engages one of the ramps 33 and thus causes the head to be automatically moved downwardly until the bell mouthed centering member 52 engages the top ofthe bottle and, if necessary, tilts it slightly so as to bring the mouth of the bottle into engagement with the sealing ring 51, the liquid discharge nozzle 41 and the vacuum pipe 46 being positioned within the top of the bottle neck. Engagement of the bottle with the sealing ring arrests the downward movement of the discharge nozzle with the result that the vacuum pipe continues to move downwardly and thus opens the lower end of the discharge nozzle. At this stage in the forward movement of the bottle the liquid and vacuum ports H, 12 of the respective filling head, on the distributor valve 8 are brought into registry with the common liquid and vacuum ports 68, 69 therein, whereby air is withdrawn from the bottle and liquid from the main storage tank 6 is induced to flow into the container under the influence of atmospheric pressure.

The period during which the filling head H is open while in contact with the bottle is such that a predetermined quantity of liquid is permitted to enter the container sufficient to fill it whereupon the filling head roller 32 engages another ramp 33 and is automatically lifted out of contact with the container, thus automatically cutting off the supply of liquid, the ports ll, 12 being also moved out of registry with the common ports 68, 89 in the distributor Valve.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the filling of the containers takes place automatically as they are moving forward ina straight.

.If, for any reason more than the predeter- I minedquantity of liquid enters a container, the excess-liquid is drawn off through the vacuum pipe andseparated and returned to the main storage tank 6 by the aforesaid separating device I 4 His ,to be understood that various modifications,'alterations, and/or additions may be incorporated in the foregoing construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the ambit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for filling bottles and other containers with predetermined quantities of liquid and the like, an endless conveyor for a series of filling heads, said conveyor having a trackway for guiding the filling heads forward in a straight line above and in parallel spaced relaticnship with a separate conveyor for bottles to be filled, for effecting vertical movement of each filling head relative to its conveyor as it passes through said trackway, and means for preventing both vertical and lateral displacement of the filling head conveyor while it is passing through said trackway.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for preventing displacement of the filling head conveyor comprises shoulders on said conveyor adapted to slide lengthwise on complementary shoulders on said trackway and rollers carried by said filling head conveyor for engaging spaced frame members on said trackway.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with ramp means located above and in parallel spaced relationship with said bottle conveyor and adapted to engage movable supports on said filling head conveyor for each said filling head whereby the latter are caused to move downwardly as they engage said ramp means and are returned to their original position when leaving the ramp means.

4. Apparatus for filling bottles and other containers with predetermined quantities of liquid, comprising a supporting frame, an endless bottle conveyor thereon and having a straight line forward path, a liquid storage tank, a vacuum pump, a common distributor valve connected to said storage tank and said vacuum pump and comprising stationary and rotary valve members, the latter being carried by an upright power driven rotatable post while the former is carried by an overhanging torque arm fixed at its opposite end to said frame, a plurality of filling heads carried by an endless conveyor having a portion located above and in parallel spaced relationship with said bottle conveyor, each fill-- ing head being connected by piping to said common distributing valve and having a liquid discharge nozzle and a vacuum pipe located within said nozzle and forming an annular liquid passage therebetween, an annular seating on the lower end of said vacuum pipe for engaging the lower end of said nozzle which carries a hollow centering member for directing the neck of a bottle to be filled over the lower ends of said nozzle and vacuum pipe and on to a sealing ring within said centering member, and means for lowering and raising each said filler head in relation to bottle conveyor as it passes thereover and moves forward at the same speed.

, 55,. An aratus:fersfi li bottl s and oth Q irtainersrw h. determined qua tities. o l u d! comp is ngxa. supporting fr m n endl s bottl conveyor hereon andhavins a a h n rwardrath. a. i uid stora e tan a va m numn. acom n distr butor va ve conn c ed to said st rag an -a d said va uum pump and consisting of inte-rfitting, stationary and rotary valve members resiliently connected together, said rotary valvecnember being carried by an upright power driven rotatable post while the former i carried by an overhanging torque arm fixedat its opposite end to said frame, a plurality of filling heads carried by an endless conveyor having a portion located above and in parallel spaced relationship with said bottle conveyor, each filling head being connected by piping to said common distributing valve and having a liquid discharge nozzle and a vacuum pipe located within said nozzle and forming an annular liquid passage therebetween, an annular seating on the lower end of said Vacuum pipe for engaging the lower end of said nozzle which carries a hollow centering member resiliently connected to a body portion of said filling head for directing the neck of a bottle to be filled over the lower ends of said nozzle and vacuum pipe and on to a sealing ring within said centering member, means for lowering and raising each filler head in relation to its conveyor as the latter moves forward over its straight line path, and elevating mechanism for effecting relative movement between the bottle conveyor and the filler heads and parts associated therewith.

6. Apparatus for filling bottles and other containers with predetermined quantities of liquid and the like, comprising in combination a supporting frame, an endless bottle conveyor thereon and having a straight line forward path, a liquid storage tank on said frame, a vacuum pump on said frame, a series of filling heads, each including a liquid discharge nozzle and a vacuum pipe and a hollow centering member for insorting said nozzle and pipe into the neck of a bottle and directing the mouth of the bottle onto a sealing member which is displaceable for opening said liquid discharge nozzle, a second conveyor for said filling heads and having a straight line portion mounted above and in parallel spaced relationship to said bottle conveyor, a common distributor valve connected by piping to said liquid storage tank and said Vacuum pump and also to each of said filling heads, said distributor valve including interfitting stationary and rotary valve members having a common liquid outlet port and a common vacuum exhaust port in said stationary valve member and a series of circumferentially spaced pairs of liquid and vacuum ports in said rotary valve member which is carried by an upright power driven rotatable post while the stationary valve member is carried by an overhanging torque arm anchored at its opposite end to said frame, means for lowering and raising each of said filling heads in relation to the bottle conveyor as said filling heads move forward in parallel spaced relationship with said bottle conveyor and at the same forward speed, and means for driving said conveyors, filling heads and distributor valve in synchronization.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said common liquid and vacuum ports in the stationary valve member communicate through internal passages with exterior couplings adapted for connection to a main liquid feed pipe leading to saidstorage and to a pipe leading to said vacuum pump; said stationary androtatable valve members being of complementary tapered formation so as to form a rotary seal therebetween,- and also being connected together by means of a bearing ring which is carried by a seating on the stationary valve member and is resiliently connected to said rotary valve member.

DAVID WILLIAM BINGHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 8 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 7 Warren Aug. 26, 1902 Weaver 23; Lee 9,- Barriby 4.4-12.1 Aug. 16, 1938 Everett Nov. 15, 1938 Howard Feb. 7, 1939 Miller Nov. 28, 1944 

